Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1918 — WAR SUMMARY. [ARTICLE]

WAR SUMMARY.

The crisis of the German offensive on the western front is at hand. Von Hindenburg’s legions, leaving behind them hundreds of thousands of dead and dying, are relentlessly pushing forward as the French and British retire slowly, stubbornly contesting every foot of devastated ground". From the latest official reports it appears that the allies are withdrawing on a seventy-five-mile line along the whole front from Arras down to east of Noyon. The allied lines are holding intact despite the desperation of the German attack. The greatest menace at present appears to be that the German advance may force a retirement of the French line to the east. Some critics predict a strategic retirement out of the region facing Loan. Both British and French are rushing men to the front. Premier Lloyd George announces that men and guns to make up part of Gen. Haig’s losses are now in France or are on their way and that more meft and more guns are ready to be thrown intp the fire and slaughter of the battle. Acording to the latest reports the Germans have captured Nesle, Bapaume and Guiscard. Extremely heavy fighting ocntinues all along the line. Gen. Haig admits that his “tired” troops are continuing to retreat, while Paris likewise admits that "our troops, in conformity with orders, are giving ground foot by foot, but are carrying out vigorous counter attacks and inflitcing heavy losses.” The expected separate German attack on the French front has not yet materialized, though a number of local assaults in various sectors were delivered in the last twenty-four hours and notably to the northwest of Rheims, around Courcy and Loivre and to the east of Badonvillers, where American troops are in the front lino trenches. These attacks .were beaten off with . heavy losses to the Germans, Paris announced. Every Berlin official bulletin mikes special mentian of sustained heavy artillery duels before Verdun. Amsterdam dispatches quote a high Austrian officer as foreshadowing “the greatest battle of the offensive” on that theater. Paris has again been raided by German flyers, Hit the attack was short-lived, French aviators and antiaircraft cannon driving the raiding machines off after a limited number of bombs had been dropped. The long-distance bomba Alment of Paris has ceased. So heavy was the firing again early today and throughout the night that it was heard along the coast of Kent, where the distant detonations shook houses and shattered windows.